Courtesy Bernard Shereck
Bernard Shereck, of Bayville, represents one the companies vying to earn the operating rights to the Coliseum.

According to Shereck, Global Spectrum — which owns the Philadelphia Flyers and their home stadium the Wells Fargo Center — would book more than 100 concerts a year, including circuses, Disney on Ice and the Harlem Globetrotters. The company would also manage the day-to-day operations of the arena.

But the primary focus of the arena would be hockey, said Shereck. He said he has “letters of intent” from the ECHL, as well as the National Lacrosse League. He added that he has also been in discussions with the commissioner of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League about bringing a team to Long Island.

His plan would condense the stadium to 8,000 to 10,000 seats.

Redesigning the interior

“We want to keep the building in the same footprint, but gut the entire inside,” Shereck said.

His plan includes replacing all the seats to make them wider and more comfortable, and, in the upper sections, add two-person seats for couples. He also wishes to build a concourse on the arena’s third level.

He said he wants to add new restaurants to the outside of the arena, with a focus on a “major family restaurant” on the western side to take advantage of the Coliseum’s sightlines. Additionally, he intends to replace the existing concession stands and replace them with luxury suites. “New luxury seats will bring you closer to the floor,” Shereck said, adding that he also wants to redo the roof and insert solar panels.

Shereck said he would team with Jack Gordon Architects for the construction, the same group that built Citifield. He estimated that the renovations would be completed in about a year.

Maintaining local ties

Shereck said he is unsure of the specific cost of his plan, but that he is willing to commit $50 to $100 million on renovations. The work, he said, would create about 1,500 union jobs in Long Island.

While operating the Long Beach Arena, he was evicted by the city in 2009 for allegedly owing thousands of dollars in rent. Shereck subsequently filed a defamation lawsuit against the city, but dropped the suit before it could go to trial.